Wisconsinites learned yesterday that a 20-month-old FOIA request pertaining to Senator Feingold’s political activity at the State Department won’t be fulfilled until December. Senator Feingold’s "State Department friends" are therefore ensuring that taxpayers won’t know the extent to which he plotted an eighth campaign on their dime until after Election Day.
As a senator, "Mr. FOIA" repeatedly talked a big game about the importance of the public’s right to know and touted the Freedom of Information Act as "an essential piece of legislation for our democracy."
As a candidate embroiled in controversy for possibly violating federal law, Senator Feingold is stonewalling.
Read and watch more of what they are saying about Senator Russ Feingold’s refusal to release his State Department records before Election Day:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "GOP asks Feingold to release records"
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has a 20-month-old Freedom of Information Act request with the State Department for Feingold’s records. The FOIA seeks correspondence between Feingold and top Senate Democrats and several Obama administration officials. Politico reported Thursday that the NRSC was told the request was held up and likely wouldn’t be released until December, after the election.
Politico: "Feingold State Department documents unlikely to come out before election"
Republicans looking for evidence of alleged political activity by Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold while at the State Department likely won’t get their hands on Feingold’s State documents until a month after the 2016 election, as a 20-month-old FOIA request has languished through the political season…Republicans believe emails between Feingold and Democratic leaders (the NRSC also requested his correspondence with top White House officials) could prove Feingold was planning his rematch against Johnson, who defeated him in 2010, while working at the State Department. Tester told reporters last year he spoke with Feingold about a bid in early January, while other reports indicated Feingold also talked to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the same time frame…Republicans also noted Feingold had repeatedly praised FOIA during his three-term tenure in the Senate, once calling it "an essential piece of legislation for our democracy."
Right Wisconsin: "Russ Feingold’s State Department Files Remain in Hiding"
Looks like Hillary Clinton isn’t the only former employee the State Department is protecting from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. A new story from Politico reports that a number of FOIA requests regarding former Senator Russ Feingold (D-Middleton) have been lingering for months. Twenty months to exact. Now after waiting all that time, the State Department conveniently is saying it won’t have the documents ready until a month after Election Day…Of course, if former Senator Feingold was a man of his word and the true advocate for government openness and transparency he claims to be, he’d stop hiding behind the federal bureaucracy and just ask that all of his records from his time at the State Department be released. He’s got nothing to hide, right?
Wisconsin Watchdog: "Mr. FOIA Russ Feingold gets a pass from his State Department friends"
Did Russ Feingold violate the federal Hatch Act? The documents that could shine light on that important question won’t be released until after November’s U.S. Senate election…Republicans’ Freedom of Information Act request has languished for 20 months – the run of the 2016 election cycle…Feingold had multiple conversations with senior Democratic leaders about the potential of a reelection bid during his tenure at the State Department. Those conversations, depending on when they occurred, could land the candidate in trouble with the Hatch Act…Feingold has long been a vocal proponent of open government, specifically the federal FOIA law.
WKOW: "Wisconsin GOP frustrated over delay in getting Feingold emails from State Department"
The Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW) is calling on U.S. Senate Candidate Russ Feingold (D) to push for a more urgent release of his own U.S. State Department records. Republicans submitted an open records request to the State Department 20 months ago asking for Feingold’s emails from his time as a special envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa. But the State Department has informed the Wisconsin GOP those emails won’t be released until December, a full month after the November general election in which Feingold is challenging incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R). RPW officials contend Feingold violated a federal law while still employed at State – the Hatch Act – which prohibits executive branch employees from making political campaign plans during their time of employment…"This is an opportunity for him (Feingold) to say – ‘hey listen, I am that (open records) champion. Expedite this process and for these folks so I can clear my name,’" said Matt Kittle, Wisconsin Reporter bureau chief.
WATCH: WKOW: "No Feingold Emails Until December"
[youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xggL7ekcgkI"]